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Learn more, see more, do more, pay less. Travelling to Japan for the first time or looking to travel unbeaten paths? Try this affordable and uniquely flexible study/tour experience combining the choice of a range of Japanese classes with adventure tours discovering what Hokkaido is REALLY like. Combine your studies of Japanese with a small group mobile classroom - and see a Japan that most visitors can barely imagine, let alone visit.

Contents - Outline, Curriculum, Study Schedule, Tour Schedule, Costs, Application procedure, Payment method, Refunds.

1) Program Outline (4 weeks in Sapporo):

Study Component: Class size is approximately 15 students per level. There is no maximum class size, but because Japanese language background/prior studies are taken into consideration with the application process, classes at any particular level rarely exceed 18 students. Each lesson is 45 minutes in duration commencing from 9am and finishing at 12:25pm. Daily class times are 9:00 to 9:45, 9:50 to 10:35, 10:50 to 11:35 and 11:40 to 12:25. All classes are taught in Japanese only by qualified and experienced JFL teachers, all are native speakers. On the first day of the program (Thursday January 11th), you receive placement testing and an orientation. Please arrive in Sapporo no later than 4pm on Wednesday January 10th. If travelling across more than 6 time zones, or for a journey of more than 20 hours in total elapsed time, we advise arriving on January 9th. Moving into the accommodation prior to the 9th will be difficult due to the public holiday on the 8th ("seijin-no-hi"), and weekend. It is likely that early arrivals will need to stay in a hotel until the 9th. Please ensure that you register your arrival details no later than December 28th.

Travel Component: Using Sapporo City as our hub, we explore a large part of southern Hokkaido including Hakodate, Matsumae, Noboribetsu, Lake Toya, the still active volcano of Showa-shinzan, go skiing and snowboarding in Niseko, explore onsens, art, gourmet seafood and other treats. All transport, admission fees and tour costs such as ski lift passes, ski school etc are included. When we stay overnight in Sapporo, you stay in the same accommodation as during the study component. When staying away from Sapporo, hotel or ryokan accommodation is included, as is breakfast and evening meals. Tour Schedule below.

Contents - Outline, Curriculum, Study Schedule, Tour Schedule, Costs, Application procedure, Payment method, Refunds.

2) Curriculum:

The focus of the curriculum is on conversation, grammar acquisition and improved oral and reading skills. We teach only modern contemporary Japanese grammar (you will not for example be exposed to classical texts) with an emphasis on speaking and listening skills. The classes are taught in Japanese only and Romaji is not used in instruction.

Minimum Entry Requirements: For the winter programs the major consideration is your current level of Japanese. There is no beginner level class, meaning that you would need to have studied Japanese for approximately 150-180 hours, read/write hiragana/ katakana, read a minimum of 150 kanji, and be able to understand the grammar used up to at least Lesson 25 of the curriculum taught by the Online Center. If you are unsure of whether your level is sufficient prior to application, please complete this online questionnaire.

All students entering the programs are graded via a placement test and placement interview on arrival. The placement test consists of 3 stages, a written test, a listening comprehension test and a one-on-one interview. This ensures that faculty can place you in a class with students who have attained a similar score in the placement test and are of similar ability.

Classes are usually offered from:

Pre-Intermediate and
Intermediate levels and above.

Depending on the number of students in the class above or below your initial placement and the difference in the proficiency level, it is usually possible to change classes after consultation and re-assessment with your academic advisor.

Contents - Outline, Curriculum, Schedule (Study, then Tour), Costs, Application procedure, Payment method, Refunds.

3a) Study Schedule:

Classes are held from Monday to Friday in the mornings (finishing 12:25pm) with some optional cultural activities held in the afternoon. You need to be at the campus by 8:30am on January 11th. (Depending on your level, it may be that your classes would be held in the afternoon) Please find the schedule for the program below. (Click here for printer friendly PDF version)

3b) Tour Component Schedule:

To be published September 17th.

Contents - Outline, Curriculum, Study Schedule, Tour Schedule, Costs, Application procedure, Payment method, Refunds.

4) Program Fee/Costs:

JANUARY 11th START - FEBRUARY 20th FINISH (6 weeks in Sapporo):
The program fee is 425,800 Japanese yen - click here for currency conversion (pop up file)

The program fee includes all tuition and textbooks. An Airport (Chitose airport) or Station (JR Sapporo station) pickup service is included if required. Your accommodation (single room), bedding, gas, water and power utility bills are all included. Your accommodation includes breakfast and dinner, it does not include lunch(1). You would probably need a minimum of 150,000 yen as spending money for sightseeing, entertainment and so on. Airfares to and from Sapporo are not included.

Contents - Outline, Curriculum, Study Schedule, Tour Schedule, Costs, Application procedure, Payment method, Refunds.

5) Application Forms and Enrolment procedure:

Application for the program is via the Online Application Form.

After you click the "send" button, your application will be processed automatically. You should receive an answer within 5 minutes as to whether you can be accepted, are on a waiting list, or are unable to join the Sapporo program. If accepted, you need to submit a passport sized photograph. The photograph can be either emailed to us or sent by post. Please do not simply scan your passport - what you need is a new photo, with a white background and reasonably good resolution. These can be either digital (jpeg or gif files) or analog (printed photos).
Click here to view samples of the kind of photo we need for your documents.

EMAIL: If sending by email, please use your passport number as the name for the attachment. The photo will need to be printed, so please use a reasonably high resolution (about 300 dpi). The file size should not exceed 50KB.

Please use the following address photos@yamasa.org

1) Please send 1 passport photo as approximately 413 X 413 pixel size (300 dpi preferred but not essential) if possible. If you don't know how to do this, then any size is OK.
2) Save the photograph using your passport number as the file name
(for example if your passport number is K0598181 then save the file as k0598181.jpg)
3) When sending your photo please send the following information as simple text:

Family Name
First Name
Nationality
Passport Number
Commencement Date

POSTAL MAIL If sending by post, please write your passport number on the back of the photograph.

If you are sending passport photos by postal mail, please send 4 photos as 3.5 X 3.5 centimeter size if possible.

For postal mail please address the envelope as follows:

Admissions Office (Photos)
The Yamasa Institute,
1-2-1 Hanehigashi-machi,
Okazaki-shi, Aichi-ken,
JAPAN 444-0832

a) On the back of each photo, please write your family name and passport number.
b) Please include a letter/note with the following information:

Family Name
First Name
Nationality
Passport Number
Commencement Date

Contents - Outline, Curriculum, Study Schedule, Tour Schedule, Costs, Application procedure, Payment method, Refunds.

6) Payment Methods:

Payment of the program fee of 425,800 Japanese yen can be made by